Delhi’s Pollution Worsened For Second Year, 2024 Saw Only 121 Clean Air Days – News18

Last Updated:January 07, 2025, 09:47 IST

Despite a remarkable drop in stubble fire incidents during October-December, the winter pollution remained elevated

Delhi’s air pollution worsened for the second consecutive year in 2024. The annual PM2.5 concentrations surged to 104.7 µg/m³ in 2024 — a 3.4 per cent rise from 2023 — following a significant fall and stabilisation between 2018 and 2022, said the New Delhi-based Centre for Science & Environment (CSE) in its latest assessment.

This is more than double the national ambient air quality standard of 40 µg/m³, a worrying trend that could exacerbate the ongoing health emergency in one of the world’s most polluted cities. Alarmingly, the residents of Delhi only experienced 121 days in 2024 when the air quality met the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. This was even less than 152 days in 2023.

“This consistent increase cannot be seen as an annual aberration due to meteorological factors,” remarked Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director, CSE. “Local and regional sources of pollution, including vehicles, industries, open burning of waste, use of solid fuels, construction and dust sources, have offset the gains. Delhi cannot hide behind the smokescreen of farm fires anymore.”

Despite a remarkable drop in stubble fire incidents during October-December, the winter pollution remained elevated. According to the satellite data, the total annual fire counts in Delhi, Punjab and Haryana fell by 37.5 per cent from 63,721 in 2023 to 39,865 in 2024. The winter fire count showed an even more remarkable reduction of 71.2 per cent — from 37,376 in 2023 to 10,712.

26% SURGE IN PEAK POLLUTION LEVELS

“There is a troubling 26 per cent surge in peak pollution levels compared to the previous year during the early phase of winter (October-December). The city has experienced 17 days of severe air quality, alongside two extended smog episodes, which kept the average levels elevated,” said Sharanjeet Kaur, Programme Officer, CSE’s Urban Lab.

There has also been an increase in the duration of the smog episodes in 2024. Three days of continuous severe AQI is considered a smog episode. During previous winters, such episodes have been recorded lasting 6-10 days. But this winter, two major smog episodes were recorded from November 13-20 lasting eight days and December 16-20, about four days.

The CSE team has been analysing the annual and seasonal trends in PM2.5 concentrations since 2018. The current analysis is based on real-time data from the currently functional 37 continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS) across Delhi-NCR.

Delhi’s annual PM2.5 levels have fluctuated over the last few years. After peaking at 115.8 µg/m³ in 2018, the city experienced an unusually clean year in 2020 due to the pandemic-induced lockdown. However, after a notable reduction and stabilisation from 2018 to 2022, the pollution levels are on the rise again, signalling increased health risks for its 33 million population.

While Delhi managed to stabilise annual PM2.5 levels since 2018 (as per the existing air quality monitors), it has also recorded a declining trend since 2013 (if the oldest five stations are considered) following the implementation of the directives from the Supreme Court on energy transition in transport and industry sectors. But it now seems to be losing the air quality gains from past action.

“The fact that the annual trends have risen for two consecutive years despite the decline in farm fire incidents during winter shows much deeper systemic changes are required to cut the round-the-year emissions from explosive traffic, industry, open burning of waste and biomass, construction activities, use of solid fuels for cooking, and dust sources in Delhi and the surrounding region,” added Roychowdhury.